Post by @youreducationadvo

@bangbangskrimpp I would love to know what district you are employed in. It's is ILLEGAL to say "my new district has no OT only goals and LOVE it, i'm added to the written expression goals the teachers write" (this was written by her in the comments of her video). 🚩 When an OT says, “My district doesn’t do OT only goals or direct services. We only collaborate with teachers,” parents should be asking questions. As an educational advocate, my concern is not that collaboration or push in services are being used. Both can be completely appropriate. The concern is the word ONLY. A district wide practice should not determine what every child receives before the individual needs of that child are considered. Under IDEA, occupational therapy is specifically recognized as a related service when it is required to help a student with a disability benefit from special education. Federal regulations define OT to include improving a student’s ability to perform tasks necessary for independent functioning. That can involve much more than being added to a teacher’s written expression goal. ✏️ Handwriting and fine motor skills 👟 Functional school skills such as managing shoes, fasteners, or materials 🧠 Regulation and sensory related functional needs when they affect educational access and participation ✂️ Cutting, grasping and manipulating classroom materials 🖥️ Accessing technology or alternative methods of written production 🎒 Organization and independence with school routines 🤲 Motor planning, coordination and functional participation And depending on the student’s individual needs, OT may be delivered through consultation, collaboration, push in services, direct individual services, small group services, or a combination. IDEA does not say every student receiving OT must have a separate “OT goal.” It also does not require every student to receive pull out OT. But IDEA also does not permit a district philosophy of “we don’t do that here” to replace individualized decision making. So if Johnny needs direct OT intervention to develop a functional skill necessary to access his education, the answer should not automatically be: “We only push in.” “We only collaborate.” “We don’t write OT goals.” “We just add ourselves to the teacher’s writing goal.” The question is supposed to be: What does THIS student need to receive FAPE and make meaningful progress? Collaboration is a service delivery method. Push in is a service delivery method. Neither should become a blanket policy that dictates services for every student before their individual needs are considered. The I in IEP still stands for INDIVIDUALIZED. #fape #ieprights #504plan #advocate #specialeducation